ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · The Bank of Korea · South Korean currency
10 Hwan
South Korea
1959–1962
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$0.06
Based on Copper spot price ($6.07/oz) · 95.0% purity · 4.4g
Updated 10:08 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | South Korea |
| Years Minted | 1959–1962 |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 4.4 g |
| Diameter | 22 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Features the Rose of Sharon, the national flower of South Korea, surrounded by inscriptions including the country name.
Reverse
Displays the denomination '10 Hwan' along with the year of issue.
History & Notable Facts
The 10 Hwan coin was the first to circulate in South Korea after the Korean War, symbolizing a tentative step toward economic normalcy in a nation still digging out from ruins. Struck in aluminum to keep costs low amid scarcity, it featured the Rose of Sharon on one side and the coin's value on the other, a design meant for everyday use rather than pomp.
Production ran from 1959 to 1962 at facilities in South Korea, though exact mintage figures remain murky—records from that era are spotty, lost to time and turmoil. What we know is that these coins were small, lightweight, and prone to wear, reflecting the makeshift nature of the period.
Some numismatists quip that handling one feels like holding a whisper of history, not a shout.
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